


Shatter the Ice

by StrawberryKnight



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Genre: (wake me up) WAKE ME UP INSIDE, DJ Music Meister, Explicit Language, F/M, Fighting, Iceberg Lounge, i'll edit these if i need to, this is sin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-10
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-04-30 22:23:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5181854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryKnight/pseuds/StrawberryKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After being forgotten about on his stage, Max Masters, aka Music Meister, takes off into the city and looks for a new chapter to start. With a taste for many music genres, he gets a day job at a second hand instrument shop. His night job is much more interesting though….<br/>While living next to The Iceberg Lounge was alright with the soft jazz music playing muffled through the walls, Max makes a note that he sees the band kicked out one night. It’s been quite ever since. When Max is running behind on his rent and can’t last on his day job’s wage anymore, he makes Mr. Cobblepot a proposition to let him DJ the club at night. Oswald agrees for he’s heard Max’s own music taste muffled through his office walls and knows how he can play.<br/>And our story begins…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Start A New Composition

**Author's Note:**

> this is 100% not what my followers wanted, but it's what they are getting because it's pretty nicely written and i like it. i'm so sorry school and a few other things have been drowning me, but i'm trying to get more writing done, i swear. this is just a baby of 3 am sudden inspiration featuring friends to beta read.  
> also speaking of beta reading, i need a few more beta reader so if you're interested, please contact me at nekoisakura@yahoo.com !!  
> thank you for your time! enjoy the story!

_Groaning in pain, Max Masters, the Music Meister let his hand thump onto the stage and allowed himself to give into the pain Batman had, oh so graciously, gave him. His ears had a low thrumming mixed with a high pitched ringing, but he sort of heard the low voice of Batman talking to Black Canary. As he laid there on his stage of broken dreams, he saw the blurred sight of Batman zipping away on his grappling hook. His eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. Why wasn’t the Bat tying him up? Why wasn’t anyone arresting him? He just tried to take over the world. He supposed that was normal for them. He held his throbbing head in his hands and slowly sat up, seeing his stage now falling apart piece by giant piece. He let out a soft squeak before trying his best and fastest to crawl off and away._

_After about a ten minute struggle, he managed to duck down into a nearby ally. Sitting next to a dumpster, he curled up and whimpered at the biting cold before letting his exhaustion and pain take over and put him in a deep sleep. He woke up in the early morning to a rustling near his head; he fixed his eighth note glasses and looked around groggily. ___

_“Whu,” he grumbled lowly while slowly sitting up. ___

_His dull green eyes caught the sight of a nearby mouse and he hummed in realization. Sitting up against the wall behind him, he rubbed his face up and down before getting up on his feet. Unbuckling the latches on his shoulders and belt, he tore it away before showing a pair of pale, green sweatpants, a purple t-shirt, and a white hoodie decorated with various black music notes; a normal attire with a bit of flare. He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pants pocket, making his way down the alley. ___

_“Now what am I supposed to do? My plan has failed and it’s not like I could start that life back up again so quickly,” Max pondered about what next to do with his life. He’s still young, only 23 in fact. ___

_He blended into the crowd of people crowding the sidewalks of Gotham and followed the flow, tilting his head back and humming to his newest ‘composition’. He lost himself in thought for hours and hours, making mental notes of all his musical notes writing themselves before his eyes. A familiar sight caught his eyes and he looked over at the store he stopped in front of. ___

_Oh, a help wanted sign. He actually did need a job, now that he was thinking about it. Wait… This place seems familiar. He examined the pale blue paint that covered the bricks and the dark red wood of the door frame. ___

_“A secondhand instrument shop… Wait! I know this place! This is where I bought my first violin when I was seven!” Max rushed in and heard the familiar ding of the welcome bell ring out, a smile came to his face as he wondered the aisles and stands as old memories rushed back to him. Sure it looked a bit drearier now, but still full of good memories and fun times! ___

_A soft drawl came from the back room, welcoming him to the shop. ___

_“Ms. Newmann,” Max exclaimed at the still recognizable face. ___

_“Hello, dearie, welcome to the shop,” Ms. Newmann greeted with a soft drawl. ___

_“Ms. Newmann, it’s me! It’s Max! Max Masters!” His gap tooth grin grew wide with excitement. ___

_“Max? Really? Well look at you all grown up.” She chuckled softly and looked him up and down with slightly glazed over blue eyes. She smiled softly at him as she made her way around the counter. “My, how you have grown up well, little Max.” ___

_Max smiled back at him and stood straight. Chuckling softly, he accepted her hug and held her closely. Ms. Newmann was like a real mother to Max.  
“Ms. Newmann, I was, uh, wondering if you still needed help around the shop. I sort of need a job.” ___

_Her face lit up and she nodded happily at him. ___

_"Oh, Max, dearie, I would love it if you worked here! But first please, go upstairs and clean up. I’ll get you a nice cup of coffee and a shop shirt.” She smiled warmly at him and handed him a key to the upstairs apartment. ___

_Max felt like he was going to cry. Giving Ms. Newmann a shaky smile, he gingerly too the key and thanked her profusely to which she just waved off smiled at him brightly. He made his way up the stairs and into the apartment to take a warm shower. ___

_“A new act simply must begin. And so far it seems to be a nice one,” Max thought to himself as he undressed and stepped into the shower. Tears of relief slowly came to his eyes and slipped down his cheeks, a smile accompanying it. Max looked up at the ceiling and let the warm water wash away his stress. He accepted this beautiful chance to make new choices. ___

…

It had been two months since Ms. Newmann allowed Max to start working at the shop and now he even has his own apartment three blocks over next to the Iceberg Lounge. This wasn’t the most extravagant part of his life, but it was the most smooth running chapter; a flow of notes going perfectly and calmly along the score.

Max perked up at the sound of the entrance bell ringing, he stood straight and smiled at a little sandy blonde boy who looked like he was lost in an amazing world, hope and excitement still present in his eyes.

“Hello, welcome to the shop,” Max greeted to the new comer. The little boy gave him an absentminded wave as he continued to wonder the store.

Max chuckled at the boy’s antics. It didn’t remind him of himself, oh no, Max always new music was the best part of life and that it was meant to be a part of him. But this little boy had his own story to write with him own symphonies. But the awestruck expression and curiosity in the little boy’s eyes made Max grin.

“ _He’s acting as if this is Wonderland, _” Max thought fondly as he dusted off the cash register and counter a bit.__

 _ _He would look up every few minutes to see the kid in a new part of the store, but he seemed to linger very closely to the clarinet section. Max quietly made his way over to the area and leaned against a nearby shelf.__

 _ _

“Need some help,” Max finally piped up with a crooked smile.

The kid looked his way in slight shock before setting down the music book that he in his hands. He shook his head and shifted his weight continuously, his eyes set on his scruffy shoes.

“Ya know the clarinet isn’t that bad of a choice for your first instrument. It is your first one, no?” Max raised a single eyebrow behind his plain black sunglasses, a small smirk dancing on his lips.

The small boy slowly looked up with a face ten shades redder from embarrassment, but none the less nodded. Max hummed and scanned the rack of clarinets quickly.

“Ah, this one is pretty nice,” Max mumbled before picking up a midnight blue clarinet up with gentle hands. He lowered to the boy’s height and offered the instrument to him.

The child looked up and him hesitantly before wiping his palms on his jeans before gingerly took the instrument in his hands. He slowly turned the instrument in his bony hands, a smile beginning to grow on his face. Max stood straight and leaned against the shelf again, satisfied by the wonder that was evident in the boy’s expression.

He swears his eyes weren’t even closed for a second before the little boy booked it out of the store with the clarinet. Max stood there with a broken smile and a questioning look.

" _J… Joke is on him, h-he doesn’t even have a reed, _" Max thought a bit bitterly.__

 _ _Slouching a bit, he shoved his hands in his pants pocket and shuffled his way back to the register. The door’s entrance bell dinged again moments later and Max let out a greeting in a gravely voice, not even looking up.__

 _ _

“Mom! Mom, come on,” a kid pestered his mom and tugged her up front.

" _Another kid, just what I need. And this one talks, just great, _" the ginger thought bitterly.__

 _ _Max took his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms on the counter, leaning his weight forward with his head down and sighed to himself. The kid and his mom looked around for about five minutes before Max heard footsteps approaching the counter.__

 _ _

“Will that be all,” he mumbled lowly, still not looking up.

A dark blue instrument was gently plopped down on the counter before the worker. Max looked up in wonder and saw the boy with a couple music books, a box of reeds, and a black case, a bright grin plastered on his face. Max smiled back at him slowly, standing straight and ringing them up.

The kid left with his mom with a new skip in his step as he proudly held his case close.

" _Maybe this side of town ain’t so back, _" Max though with a grin.__

 _ _Almost on cue, he heard sirens approaching in the distance.__

 _ _

" _Shit, I jinxed it… Oh well! _"__

 _ _Just another day in Gotham.__

__

__

__

__


	2. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night job brings on a pretty girl and a sort of familiar, sort of new environment.

_Just another night of work… ___

__Eliza shimmied up her black, velvet leotard up over her grey pantyhose, and had Raven button her up. Buckling up her separate collar to cover her small scar, she adjusted her bowtie and slipped her black wedges on. She looked in the mirror and replenished her lips with her dark red lipstick. She rumpled her messy, light brown hair and grabbed one of the wide silver platters before walking out of the backroom to the main floor. She felt a wave of familiarity as she crossed the floor to the bar, letting he hum of all the guests’ chatter fill her ears and her eyes adjusting to the dim light of the Iceberg Lounge. A few of the other girls greeted her with nods or mumbled hellos._ _

__“Heya, Liz, how ya doin’ tonight,” Frankie, this shift’s bartender, asked her.  
“I’m doin' good, Frankie. But then again my shift has only begun.” She let a small smile tug at her dark red painted lips as she loaded her tray with premade martinis. “Well, catch ya later, Frankie.”  
“See ya, dollface.” He threw a wink her way and she returned it with an eye roll before walking away into her section of tables to start off the night. It was still early, but there were already so many people there. _This is Gotham City after all. _  
Making the normal rounds to a few regulars and a few new faces, she began to hum to herself to a nameless tune. Within the few minutes of her first hour, she saw many new faces. Guess Batman’s been cleaning up the streets more than Mr. Copplepot wanted.___ _

_____We’re losing valuable customers again. All thanks to Batman… Guess that means the girls and I are going to have more… jobs later this week. _____ _ _

______Half an hour later, Eliza went back to the bar to see James, the new hire, working the system. She gave him a friendly smile and set her tray down, leaning on the counter with her arms._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Heya, kid, how’s the job treating ya,” she asked him politely.  
“It’s, uh, a lot quieter than Ocean’s Floor ever was, that’s for sure.” James loaded up her tray with another round and smiled nervously.  
“Oh, just you wait, kiddo. I promise it’ll get a lot more exciting than any other job you’ve ever had before.” She lifted her tray once more and sets off into the maze of tables._ _ _ _ _ _

______She listened to the distant chiming of the town clock and heard seven bongs. The lights dimmed and she stopped along with everyone else. This was new. Turning her head in the direction of the iceberg to see what was going on; most things did happen in that general area. A faint blue glow shined off of the large iceberg in the center of the club, a brighter glow shown onto the tip of the glacier to show a round tech console with blue circuits showing through the clear protective glass. An interesting ginger with dark glasses in the appearance of a music score with an eighth note bent in the shape of an M._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ladies and gentleman! Good evening! I am the Music- DJ Masters! Yeah, yeah. I’m DJ Masters; you’re new music entertainment of Iceberg Lounge.” He lifted his arms and opaque screens rose with them at the level of his hands. “Now, let us dance and accept the music of all centuries into our hearts.” His fingers glided across the screens, leaving florescent trails to show up to the grounds. The spot lights faded as purple lights ran a course across the floor until meeting at the large iceberg. Music slowly came to be heard and started out slowly._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eliza smiled softly and turned around fully to look up at him. She swayed softly with the music and hum along. So Oswald finally hired a new musical act, huh… I think I might this one. She remembered back to the last week when Oswald fired the whole band because of their bassist was making the waitresses feel a bit… uncomfortable, in a short term. Eliza stood straight and began to walk again back to the bar for her ninth round before suddenly a low hum buzzed out and broke out into familiar out drumming of an electronic bass, the lights turned green and speed across the floors and walls. Her attention snapped back to the ginger DJ and saw him moving along with the music, spinning and really getting into the music. For a second he stopped and seemed to look her direction with a faint smile. Eliza tilted her head to the side just slightly and her smile grew wider with his. She turned back to the bar and sashayed away with her head held high, humming to herself. As she walked away she heard the notes ascending quickly to an electronic range before dropping quickly and letting out a strong bass to accompany and mix with the instruments._ _ _ _ _ _

______This isn’t Mr. Penguin’s style, but Eliza and a lot of the customers loved it. She turned slightly to look up at the new DJ once more, she smiled softly when she noticed how into the music he was and how the lights danced with him, and she could only assume he was in control of those too or they were synced with his music somehow. Eliza smiled as he slowed and grinned widely looking down at the floor for half a second. She could have sworn she caught his eye again._ _ _ _ _ _

______She chuckled to herself and shook her head. _No way, that ice berg stage is too tall and with those glasses, he probably can’t see that far in this dark place. _She straightened her back and took her now loaded tray up on her shoulder and started making her next round, not making any conversation with anyone for everyone seemed caught up in the music and lights. This guy really is good. She hadn’t really been paying attention, but he seemed to have his own feel for the music because she never heard anything like this song before. The genre and remixes weren’t new to her, but this specific song was very new. She wondered if he did it earlier tonight or was making it on the spot.___ _ _ _ _ _

________Perhaps she’d find out later on at closing…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heheheee... uuhh hey guys!! sorry for not updating... like anything... in forever... i got a job recently and school is still killing me, but its christmas break soon so maybe ill get more time to write. i really hope so...  
> thanks for stickin around though! here's this, mates.  
> lots of love. (hopefully) see you soon.


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